The Saints defender and Samurai Blue captain helped his nation reach the quarter-finals with a 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia.
Southampton defender Maya Yoshida played a key role as Japan reached the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup thanks to a 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia at the Al-Sharjah Stadium.
Takehiro Tomiyasu broke the deadlock for the Samurai Blue in the 20th minute of the only round-of-16 tie pitting two of Asia’s representatives at the FIFA World Cup against one another, thanks to a towering header from a corner.
Although Saudi Arabia enjoyed more than 75 per cent of possession against Japan, according to ESPN, national captain Yoshida and his fellow defenders restricted their opponents to few clear-cut chances and held on valiantly for a clean sheet.
Japan, who looking to win a record fifth Asian Cup title, will next face Vietnam, the lowest ranked of the six teams to qualify for the last eight so far, in the last eight of the competition at the Al Maktoum Stadium in Dubai on January 24 (ESPN).
Southampton sent a Twitter message in which they congratulated their player for his exploits at international level, and some Saints fans responded with similar messages of goodwill:
For those who have a strong belief in football statistics and history, the Asian Cup Twitter account shared what could be a very good omen for Japan, so Yoshida could very well finish the tournament as a champion:
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
